diff --git a/doc/SPOE.txt b/doc/SPOE.txt
index 1012f35..83c52b1 100644
--- a/doc/SPOE.txt
+++ b/doc/SPOE.txt
@@ -156,6 +156,8 @@
     <name>   is the name of the agent section.
 
   following keywords are supported :
+    - maxconnrate
+    - maxerrrate
     - messages
     - option continue-on-error
     - option var-prefix
@@ -163,6 +165,18 @@
     - use-backend
 
 
+maxconnrate <number>
+  Set the maximum number of connections per second to <number>. The SPOE will
+  stop to open new connections if the maximum is reached and will wait to
+  acquire an existing one. So it is important to set "timeout hello" to a
+  relatively small value.
+
+
+maxerrrate <number>
+  Set the maximum number of errors per second to <number>. The SPOE will stop
+  its processing if the maximum is reached.
+
+
 messages <msg-name> ...
   Declare the list of SPOE messages that an agent will handle.
 
diff --git a/src/flt_spoe.c b/src/flt_spoe.c
index 06d6e5d..ba76611 100644
--- a/src/flt_spoe.c
+++ b/src/flt_spoe.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <proto/arg.h>
 #include <proto/backend.h>
 #include <proto/filters.h>
+#include <proto/freq_ctr.h>
 #include <proto/frontend.h>
 #include <proto/log.h>
 #include <proto/proto_http.h>
@@ -51,13 +52,6 @@
 /* Helper to get ctx inside an appctx */
 #define APPCTX_SPOE(appctx) ((appctx)->ctx.spoe)
 
-/* TODO: add an option to customize these values */
-/* The maximum number of new applet waiting the end of the hello handshake */
-#define MAX_NEW_SPOE_APPLETS 5
-
-/* The maximum number of error when a stream is waiting of a SPOE applet */
-#define MAX_NEW_SPOE_APPLET_ERRS 3
-
 /* Minimal size for a frame */
 #define MIN_FRAME_SIZE 256
 
@@ -200,6 +194,8 @@
 
 	char                 *var_pfx;        /* Prefix used for vars set by the agent */
 	unsigned int          flags;          /* SPOE_FL_* */
+	unsigned int          cps_max;        /* Maximum number of connections per second */
+	unsigned int          eps_max;        /* Maximum number of errors per second */
 
 	struct list           cache;          /* List used to cache SPOE streams. In
 					       * fact, we cache the SPOE applect ctx */
@@ -208,7 +204,8 @@
 					       * for each supported events */
 
 	struct list        applet_wq;         /* List of streams waiting for a SPOE applet */
-	unsigned int       new_applets;       /* The number of new SPOE applets */
+	struct freq_ctr    conn_per_sec;      /* connections per second */
+	struct freq_ctr    err_per_sec;       /* connetion errors per second */
 };
 
 /* SPOE filter configuration */
@@ -229,8 +226,6 @@
 	struct list         buffer_wait;  /* position in the list of streams waiting for a buffer */
 	struct list         applet_wait;  /* position in the list of streams waiting for a SPOE applet */
 
-	unsigned int        errs;         /* The number of errors to acquire a SPOE applet */
-
 	enum spoe_ctx_state state;        /* SPOE_CTX_ST_* */
 	unsigned int        flags;        /* SPOE_CTX_FL_* */
 
@@ -1593,9 +1588,9 @@
 	si_applet_cant_get(&strm->si[0]);
 	appctx_wakeup(appctx);
 
-	/* Increase the number of applets waiting the end of the hello
-	 * handshake. */
-	conf->agent->new_applets++;
+	/* Increase the per-process number of cumulated connections */
+	if (conf->agent->cps_max > 0)
+		update_freq_ctr(&conf->agent->conn_per_sec, 1);
 
 	strm->do_log = NULL;
 	strm->res.flags |= CF_READ_DONTWAIT;
@@ -1665,9 +1660,7 @@
 {
 	struct spoe_context *ctx;
 
-	agent->new_applets--;
 	list_for_each_entry(ctx, &agent->applet_wq, applet_wait) {
-		ctx->errs++;
 		task_wakeup(ctx->strm->task, TASK_WOKEN_MSG);
 		SPOE_PRINTF(stderr, "%d.%06d [SPOE/%-15s] %s: stream=%p"
 			    " - wake up stream because to SPOE applet connection failed\n",
@@ -1679,7 +1672,6 @@
 static void
 on_new_spoe_appctx_success(struct spoe_agent *agent, struct appctx *appctx)
 {
-	agent->new_applets--;
 	offer_spoe_appctx(agent, appctx);
 }
 /* Retrieve a SPOE applet from the agent cache if possible, else create it. It
@@ -1723,10 +1715,9 @@
 		goto success;
 	}
 
-	/* If there is no server up for the agent's backend or it too many
-	 * failure occurred, this is an error. */
-	if ((!agent->b.be->srv_act && !agent->b.be->srv_bck) ||
-	    ctx->errs >= MAX_NEW_SPOE_APPLET_ERRS)
+	/* If there is no server up for the agent's backend, this is an
+	 * error. */
+	if (!agent->b.be->srv_act && !agent->b.be->srv_bck)
 		goto error;
 
 	SPOE_PRINTF(stderr, "%d.%06d [SPOE/%-15s] %s: stream=%p"
@@ -1739,10 +1730,12 @@
 		LIST_ADDQ(&agent->applet_wq, &ctx->applet_wait);
 
 	/* Finally, create new SPOE applet if we can */
-	if (agent->new_applets < MAX_NEW_SPOE_APPLETS) {
-		if (create_spoe_appctx(conf) == NULL)
-			goto error;
+	if (agent->cps_max > 0) {
+		if (!freq_ctr_remain(&agent->conn_per_sec, agent->cps_max, 0))
+			goto wait;
 	}
+	if (create_spoe_appctx(conf) == NULL)
+		goto error;
 
   wait:
 	return 0;
@@ -1759,7 +1752,6 @@
 	ctx->flags |= ((dir == SMP_OPT_DIR_REQ)
 		       ? SPOE_CTX_FL_REQ_PROCESS
 		       : SPOE_CTX_FL_RSP_PROCESS);
-	ctx->errs = 0;
 
 	SPOE_PRINTF(stderr, "%d.%06d [SPOE/%-15s] %s: stream=%p"
 		    " - acquire SPOE appctx %p from cache\n",
@@ -1775,9 +1767,9 @@
 	}
 
 	SPOE_PRINTF(stderr, "%d.%06d [SPOE/%-15s] %s: stream=%p"
-		    " - failed to acquire SPOE appctx errs=%u\n",
+		    " - failed to acquire SPOE appctx\n",
 		    (int)now.tv_sec, (int)now.tv_usec, agent->id,
-		    __FUNCTION__, ctx->strm, ctx->errs);
+		    __FUNCTION__, ctx->strm);
 	send_log(ctx->strm->be, LOG_WARNING, "failed to acquire SPOE applet.\n");
 
 	return -1;
@@ -2104,6 +2096,16 @@
 		    agent->id, __FUNCTION__, s, spoe_ctx_state_str[ctx->state],
 		    spoe_event_str[ev]);
 
+	if (agent->eps_max > 0) {
+		if (!freq_ctr_remain(&agent->err_per_sec, agent->eps_max, 0)) {
+			SPOE_PRINTF(stderr, "%d.%06d [SPOE/%-15s] %s: stream=%p"
+				    " - skip event '%s': max EPS reached\n",
+				    (int)now.tv_sec, (int)now.tv_usec,
+				    agent->id, __FUNCTION__, s, spoe_event_str[ev]);
+			goto skip;
+		}
+	}
+
 	dir = ((ev < SPOE_EV_ON_SERVER_SESS) ? SMP_OPT_DIR_REQ : SMP_OPT_DIR_RES);
 
 	if (LIST_ISEMPTY(&(ctx->messages[ev])))
@@ -2181,6 +2183,9 @@
 	return 1;
 
   error:
+	if (agent->eps_max > 0)
+		update_freq_ctr(&agent->err_per_sec, 1);
+
 	release_spoe_appctx(ctx);
 	ctx->state = ((agent->flags & SPOE_FL_CONT_ON_ERR)
 		      ? SPOE_CTX_ST_READY
@@ -2206,7 +2211,6 @@
 	ctx->filter   = filter;
 	ctx->state    = SPOE_CTX_ST_NONE;
 	ctx->flags    = 0;
-	ctx->errs     = 0;
 	ctx->messages = conf->agent->messages;
 	ctx->buffer   = &buf_empty;
 	LIST_INIT(&ctx->buffer_wait);
@@ -2636,7 +2640,8 @@
 		curagent->timeout.processing = TICK_ETERNITY;
 		curagent->var_pfx         = NULL;
 		curagent->flags           = 0;
-		curagent->new_applets     = 0;
+		curagent->cps_max         = 0;
+		curagent->eps_max         = 0;
 
 		for (i = 0; i < SPOE_EV_EVENTS; ++i)
 			LIST_INIT(&curagent->messages[i]);
@@ -2759,7 +2764,7 @@
 		else if (!strcmp(args[1], "continue-on-error")) {
 			if (*args[2]) {
 				Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : cannot handle unexpected argument '%s'.\n",
-				      file, linenum, args[3]);
+				      file, linenum, args[2]);
 				err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
 				goto out;
 			}
@@ -2771,6 +2776,36 @@
 			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
 			goto out;
 		}
+	}
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "maxconnrate")) {
+		if (!*args[1]) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' expects an integer argument.\n",
+                              file, linenum, args[0]);
+                        err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+                        goto out;
+                }
+		if (*args[2]) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : cannot handle unexpected argument '%s'.\n",
+			      file, linenum, args[2]);
+			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
+			goto out;
+		}
+		curagent->cps_max = atol(args[1]);
+	}
+	else if (!strcmp(args[0], "maxerrrate")) {
+		if (!*args[1]) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : '%s' expects an integer argument.\n",
+                              file, linenum, args[0]);
+                        err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_FATAL;
+                        goto out;
+                }
+		if (*args[2]) {
+			Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : cannot handle unexpected argument '%s'.\n",
+			      file, linenum, args[2]);
+			err_code |= ERR_ALERT | ERR_ABORT;
+			goto out;
+		}
+		curagent->eps_max = atol(args[1]);
 	}
 	else if (*args[0]) {
 		Alert("parsing [%s:%d] : unknown keyword '%s' in spoe-agent section.\n",